Rating: 
Summary: Do the right thing...
Review: For me, Simpson's personal account of his survival on Siule Grande was an emotional cocktail which I simply could not put down. I was warmed by the camaradery between Simon & Joe; frightened by the prospect that lay before them; chilled by the decisions that the each had to take; and finally brought to tears in the climax of this wonderful story.I bought this book for my mother in an attempt to explain to her why I climbed mountains. How foolish...
Rating:
Summary: A harrowing tale of the Inextinguishable human spirit.
Review: I found this book to be a gripper. The kind of book that you grip onto reading well past your bed. I couldn't put it down and read this book well past into the morning. The author writes about his ordeal after his accident high in the Peruvian Andes. After his fall caused by his friend, he struggles to survive and to return to civilization. His lonely account of his survival is a testament of his determination and his will to survive. This story is a must read. The pace and the plot is terribly engrossing and compelling.
Rating: 
Summary: EXTREME ADVENTURE IN THE PERUVIAN ANDES
Review: An amazing tale of courage, fortitude, and a desire to live, despite dire circumstances. The author, Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, ascend a perilous section of the Peruvian Andes. Near the summit, tragedy strikes when Joe, up over 19,000 feet, falls and hits a slope at the base of a cliff, breaking his right leg, rupturing his right knee, and shattering his right heel. Beneath him is a seemingly endless fall to the bottom. Simon reaches him but knows that the chances for Joe to get off the mountain are virtually non-existent. Yet, they fashion a daring plan to to do just that. For the next few hours, through a snow storm, they work in tandem, and manage a risky, yet effective way of trying to lower Joe down the mountain. About three thousand feet down, Joe who is still roped to Simon, drops off an edge, and finds himself now free hanging in space six feet away from an ice wall, unable to reach it with his axe. The edge is over hung about fifteen feet above him. The dark outline of a crevasse lies about a hundred feet directly below him. Joe couln't get up, and Simon couldn't get down. In fact, Joe's weight began to pull Simon off the mountain. So, Simon was finally forced to do the only thing he could do under the circumstances. He cut the rope, believing that he was consigning his friend to certain death. Therein lies the tale. What happens next is sure to make one believe in miracles.
Rating:
Summary: Not only it's un-putdownable, it's also un-forgettable .
Review: They say it's better than 'Into Thin Air'. They are wrong ! It's 10 times better than that ! You are a climber, or a non-climber, it doesn't matter, go and get this book ! Reading this book, not only i am amazed by the way he has survived, but also by the way he has written it. His words are simple and yet they are capable of filling the entire space of my heart. I cried and laughed reading this book. At some points, i even wished that i were there with him so that i could put my arms around him and tell him that everything would be fine. Even after i have finished reading it, i still pick it up often and re-read some pages. The effect never subside....
Rating:
Summary: Not Just for Climbing Fans
Review: I have never been mountain climbing, but I read this wonderful book in one sitting. Joe Simpson's personal account of his "near-death" experience is written in a simple, yet eloquent style. Cliches such as "inspiring" and "harrowing" don't do this book justice. It is a one of a kind read. Into Thin Air is also a terrific climbing book, but for me, Simpson's story was more personal and in a way, almost spirutual. Even though he comes across as an unbelievably brave hero, it is evident that he is not trying to, which makes him seem all the more heroic. I would recmmend this book for sportspeople and couch potatoes alike.
Rating:
Summary: Great heights
Review: Tales of bravery, survival and adventure are thick on the shelves these days and frequently there is a manufactured air about the events recounted, a feeling that the author might just have read a few too many Bulldog Drummond stories in their youth. Not so with "Touching The Void." Simpson is not afraid to portray himself in a less than flattering light when appropriate, yet by the end one has little but sheer admiration for the man. This slim volume carries a weight far beyond its size and should be required reading for anyone venturing into the hills and mountains while still managing to reach something elemental in us all. Scarcely a word is superfluous. It may not change your life but it will certainly enrich it; and probably persuade you to take out pretty comprehensive insurance on your next trip.
Rating:
Summary: If you liked "Into Thin Air" you'll like this
Review: Harrowing first person account of Joe Simpson's near-death while climbing in the Andes. After breaking his leg and heel and falling into a crevasse he is left for dead. He struggles out and crawls/hobbles miles into base camp where his climbing partners are preparing to break camp (after having burned his clothes thinking he was dead!). If you liked Krakauer's Into Thin Air, you will like this. If you like this genre read Alfred Lansing's book on the Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to put down.
Review: An awesome story... very engaging, I went through this book very quickly. Simply put, you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Horror...
Review: Horror. This book should be filed under horror in bookstores. It is an account of one fatal adventure in the Andes. Joe Simpson and his climbing partner decided to climb a virgin, difficult wall in the Peruvian Andes. Joe has an accident near the summit, breaks his thigh. Of course weather changes to hurricane and although the continue descent, they are both bound to death.
Rating:
Summary: A mountain tragedy with a difference.....
Review: A good many books and short stories have been written about mountaineering accidents and tragedies. Every bookshop worth its salt will have at least one or two to chose from, but if this one is on the shelf - get it! This is a tale which will grow on you as you turn each page, compelling you to read on and on to its breathtaking conclusion. Simpson nearly died the first time, but there was worse to come. The author has made no attempt to glorify the story, nor alter the facts to shed a kinder light on his own thoughts and words, or the actions of his partner. This book is not just an account of a human tragedy on a mountain; it is a journey into the depths of a man's soul. It is as much about philosophy as it is about mountaineering, but don't let that put you off - it's a real heart thumper!
| 
